- Heathrow has thrown doubt on the government’s targeted 2035 date for the opening of a third runway
- The airport stated that keeping to the schedule would require policy and regulatory change
- Heathrow’s core scenario has always been to open the runway within a decade of obtaining planning permission
- Istanbul Airport is set to take Heathrow’s crown as Europe’s busiest hub this year
- Frankfurt Airport opened Terminal 3 adding capacity for an additional 19 million passengers annually
London Heathrow Airport has thrown doubt on the UK government’s targeted 2035 date for the opening of a third runway, stating that keeping to the schedule would require policy and regulatory change. In November last year the government gave its backing to Heathrow Airport Limited’s third runway proposal, which includes the rerouting of the M25 motorway through a tunnel under the new runway. At the time the Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated the government was clear on its ambition to see flights taking off on a new runway in 2035. Government sources told The Telegraph over the weekend that the timeline is unrealistic, and Heathrow has released its own statement echoing this sentiment.
Heathrow has not entirely closed the door on a 2035 opening date, stating that it would continue to work with Ministers, airlines and other stakeholders to progress its planning application with pace. The airport added that opening the new runway within a decade of obtaining planning permission has always been its core scenario. The current plans for Heathrow’s third runway were approved under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, but England has a new Prime Minister who has previously been a critic of the airport’s expansion.
Last year, when still Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham was quoted as saying that the project diverts infrastructure investment away from the North and traps it in London and the South East. A recent Financial Times report quotes an unnamed Labour MP as stating that the new PM remains open minded about whether the third runway should go ahead. The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has expressed formal opposition to the plans on environmental grounds.
With Heathrow currently operating at around 99pc capacity across its two existing runways, passenger numbers have effectively hit a ceiling until a third runway comes online. This is in contrast to Istanbul Airport, which is set to take Heathrow’s crown as Europe’s busiest hub this year. The two airports recorded a near-identical 84.4 million passengers in 2025, but Istanbul is targeting 90 million passengers in 2026, which would see it surge past Heathrow. Istanbul Airport also recently inaugurated a new East-West runway, designed to reduce airborne holding patterns and taxi times. Meanwhile, Frankfurt Airport opened its new Terminal 3 earlier this year, adding capacity for an additional 19 million passengers annually. The €4 billion expansion project was one of Europe’s largest privately funded infrastructure projects.
Back in England, Manchester Airport has recently completed its £1.3 billion Terminal 2 transformation programme. Work is now underway to revamp and expand its Terminal 3, with facilities including 40pc more seating, a new entrance, new shops and F&B outlets, and the latest security screening equipment. Rival London airport Gatwick is pushing forward with plans for its second runway. Last year, the government gave the go-ahead for Gatwick to bring its existing Northern Runway into routine use, enabling around 100,000 extra flights a year. In September the legal challenge was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, paving the way for the project to begin.
A Heathrow spokesperson shared “It’s right that ambitious targets were set, the sooner expansion begins the sooner the whole England will benefit. Our focus has always been to secure planning permission by 2029.
Once achieved the runway will be open within a decade, and the benefits of expansion can be felt from today. At least 108,000 new jobs and billions invested in supply chains in every part of the country. This is a national project, 100pc privately financed which will support growth today and secure the England’s position in the global economy once the runway opens.”
